No imminent threat of gang war in Kamloops: RCMP

KAMLOOPS - RCMP say residents of Kamloops should rest assured there is no threat of a gang war in the city, despite a recent media report suggesting so.

Following a report in the newspaper Kamloops This Week, which suggested a potential turf war between rival gangs was imminent, Kamloops RCMP have issued a media release saying that was not the case.

“At this point there is nothing arising from our intelligence, investigations or community connections that support the increased threat level (indicated) in a recent local news article,” RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Cheryl Bush says in the release.

Bush says there have been recent investigations which link back to organized crime and Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit investigators are working to gather intelligence.

“These types of investigations are often met with little or no cooperation from all parties involved, leaving the police to rely on other sources and evidence to successfully prosecute those responsible for violence,” Bush says.

She says police have a "predictive targeting process" that combines intelligence from three levels of government and helps prioritize potential threats.

Const. Jordan McLellan with the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit says the threat of gang violence can be further reduced when partner agencies share intelligence and members of the public come forward with information.

“We are determined to succeed but we cannot combat gang crime alone," he says in the release. "We work closely with our many partner agencies like the Kamloops RCMP, as well as our communities across the province and country.”

To contact a reporter for this story, email Glynn Brothen at gbrothen@infonews.ca or call 250-319-7494. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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